Mystery Monday: So, what fell from the sky in 1658?

In doing my family history research I have searched through hundreds of parish registers.

I always note certain things that I think are interesting, even if they don’t have anything to do with my own ancestors.

Much of my research is in Buckinghamshire, UK and so I noticed this in the Parish Register for St. Mary’s, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

“Upon the 11th of December in this yeare 1658: beinge Saterday a lecture beinge constantly keept: there hapned to fall in the time of sermon a greate stone which wayed about three or four score pounds: and there was then present in their seats neere an hundred scoolers: which stone did breake to of thier heads and part of the gallery where they sate: soe through providence of god there was none other hurt done: I pray god wee may all eye his mercies in this and others of his deliverances. Thomas Daney and Robert Bryan were the: 2 scoolers which were hurte”.

I find this fascinating. As the two that were hurt (were they killed, we don’t seem to know) were sitting in the gallery, this is higher up in the church. So the “greate stone” must have come through the roof of the church. What was it? Perhaps a meteor? In those days would they know of meteors? If they did not, imagine all the things they must have suggested it might be when they discussed it. How did they shift it and what did they do with it? A real mystery!!

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Hallo Aillin, thanks for popping over to the blog and your comment. I must say I was completely surprised when I read the entry in the register. Not the usual sort of thing that I call interesting that sometimes gets noted. So it sort of stood out! I’m wondering what other records would be available where I can check what they did with the object that came into the church and maybe documents dealing with the repair of the gallery.

Hallo Judy, Thanks for visiting my blog and for your comment. I thought it was extremely fascinating when I found it. I’m so pleased that sometimes the vicars write these things. I can imagine the people of the town talking about it for ages. They must have wondered what was happening. It’s a great snapshot of something that actually happened. I shall have to check the registers again to see if the two that had their heads broken lived or not.

What an intruiging account, I wonder if there were any subsequent enties in the register to explain the event, it set me thinking and as a stone of 60 – 80 pounds would equate roughly to a sphere of 11-12 inches diameter, might it have been a piece of masonry from around the spire – long since replaced?

Hallo John, thanks for your comment and for visiting my blog. I thought this item was very intriguing and not normally what you get to see in the parish registers! Now you have worked out the size of the stone I’m thinking that just maybe you could be right. I was thinking maybe it was much bigger than the size you suggest and I did rather think it might have been a meteor but perhaps your suggestion is more along the right lines. I can see I will have to try to dig up some accounts records to see if there were any repairs to the roof/church around that time, as that might mention what it actually was.

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YOUR ANCESTORS

If you could see your ancestors
All standing in a row
Would you be proud of them
Or don't you really know?
Some strange discoveries are made
In climbing family trees
And some of them, you know
Do not particularly please!

If you could see your ancestors
All standing in a row
There might be some of them, perhaps
You wouldn't care to know
But here's another question, which
Requires a different view ...
If you could meet your ancestors
Would they be proud of you?(Author unknown)